Three Common Myths

It has come to my attention that about three-fourths of the graduating 8th grade class at my school thinks that human blood is sometimes blue. In light of this educational emergency, I’ve decided to cover three very common myths and try to fix them.

MYTH #1: When human blood doesn’t have oxygen, it is blue in color.

At an early age, we were taught that human blood is red when it has oxygen, but when it runs out of oxygen, it turns blue. Then the blue-colored blood goes back to the lungs/heart, picks up new oxygen, and turns red again. They told us this again and again… and it was only recently that I learned that all blood is red unless you are a horseshoe crab, in which case your blood is indeed blue. (If you are a horseshoe crab, please subscribe!) I’ve been telling people around the school and most were surprised.

MYTH #2 Napoleon Bonaparte is short.

Napoleon is remembered for two things: being a great conqueror and being short. But Napoleon wasn’t short, he was of a somewhat average height. There was a discrepancy between English and French units when measuring his height, and soon the word mistakenly spread that he was 5’2”. But he was actually about 5’7”, which was perfectly normal and a little above average for his time period.

MYTH #3 Bulls hate the color red.

Bulls actually don’t hate the color red. The Mythbusters actually tested this out with multiple flags and banners, and it turns out bulls have no preference. They are actually colorblind and can hardly tell colors apart. They bulls chase the red-colored banners because the way they’re moving look like a threat. If multiple flags are waved, bulls will charge at the one moving the most rather than the red one.

So spread the word and join me in informing everyone that blood is red, Napoleon is of average height, and that bulls don’t really care about colors. Thanks!